Bill Wilson MSP

Reacting to the news that almost £14 million has been allocated to the Paisley Campus of the University of the West of Scotland for new student accommodation, and that Scotland tops the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) with regard to university research funding, Dr Bill Wilson MSP (SNP) has spoken of the value of Scottish universities.

Dr Wilson said, “Having done various research projects across Scotland and elsewhere, both s a student and as a postgraduate scientist, I appreciate how important the funding of universities is to the continuation of Scotland’s leading role in many areas. The fact that Scotland is not only spending more money as a percentage of its GDP than the rest of the UK but also more than any other country in the OECD is truly cause for celebration.

“In 2008, Scotland spent £939 million on university research funding. That was a 5.3 percent real terms increase on 2007. Scotland has always been a world leader when it comes to education, and these figures amount to a concrete demonstration of how much we value the work of our tertiary institutions.